Prior to this AM I had a mixed bag of Funds. I now am investing in only the Stable Value Fund; it is an ultra-conservative move but I prefer not to lose any money. As the markets change (improve) I will make necessary changes.
I'm now on plan D, as my 401k does not allow for a 1% contribution. At 2% I will be contributing $31.20 which will be matched by my employer (up to 3% if I remember correctly). I will have to change my plans for my Sharebuilders account accordingly.
Cost Per Serving versus Pound by Ellen Lawson Ferlazzo; a different type of tool to cut your grocery bill.
"When you are exploring different ways to cut costs in your grocery bill, one of the things you start paying attention to is the cost per pound of various cuts of meat. You probably see some things that are selling for less per pound than you are used to paying but perhaps the cut of meat is unfamiliar and you are not sure whether something is a good deal or not. How do you compare two different cuts of meat? You want to look at the cost per serving rather than the cost per pound. If something is cheap, but you throw away a lot of bone and fat, then you're paying more per serving than you might realize."
Be Picky--since I love to cook using prepared items is not an issue. Altho I do use some packaged meals (ie. Hamburger Helper) I am trying to develop good alternatives that I can make myself.
Use What You Have--Not a problem for us. Everything I buy has a reason I am usually good at purchasing just what I need AS LONG AS I HAVE A LIST!! That is the key.
Make Lists--I am finding that currently this is the KEY to controlling my grocery bill. It's when I don't make a list I have a tendency to "buy stupid."
Shop Online--not even an option. Where we live there are no stores that that allow online ordering with delivery.
Make A Game of It--not an option for as written in the article. But I do try to make a game by seeing how well I can stay on budget. Wish they would develop a way for us rural folks to be able to do this without having to drive hours away. No stores in our area take internet coupons, even those further away are iffy on this issue. I wish we could use internet coupons, but not much that can be done.
Link to original article: Shave$150 a week off your grocery bill: Attention shoppers: You're paying too much for food
To start this process I'm going to choose tuesdays,,,and take the $2 of work money and deposit it to PP. Will add a running total on my sidebar to help track progress.
How to stop nickel and diming yourself into the poorhouse!
Found at Kirby on Finance
After looking at my monthly expenses there are only 2 that could possibly be considered "unnecessary"--DirecTV and Earthlink. But can they be eliminated??
Currently our DTV bill is about $90/month; we do subscribe to Showtime and I do have "insurance" on our equipment. Regretfully the only other alternatives to DTV is either Dish Network (similar in price) or Zito Media (formerly Adelphia). Both have major drawback so DTV was our only choice. The sole purpose for Showtime--the L Word. So after the season is over Showtime will be canceled for the remainder of the year. That will save us about $75/yr.
As for Earthlink. The only way I could save a little bit of money is to pay full year up front, which at this point in time is not feasible. Some would say get rid of internet, but being that it is my only form of entertainment, it is not something that is so easily parted with.
Other than DTV and Earthlink, the remainder of my "big" monthly expenses (ie. living expenses) are necessary.
"While those big expenses were hurting me, I found it was the little expenses that were killing me. Eating out a couple of times a week, even though it was at cheap places, began adding up. All of the times I’d stop to get a Red Bull during the week were adding up too. Basically, at $2 to $3 per expense, I was nickel and diming myself into the poorhouse."Now this I can definitely relate to and I believe this is where a majority of my problems are. If it's not soda, its cigarettes. If not those two, it's "fast" food items. Or a quick run into the store and I come out with $50 worth of stuff. Oh it's stuff we can use, but not necessarily stuff we need.
Steps I need to follow:
1] Get real with yourself! Before you can even begin to do anything seriously with your finances (or really life in general), you have to “get real” with yourself and be honest and somewhat critical with the financial choices you’ve made.
For me it is time to seriously consider the smoking habit. I am giving it serious consideration, I just ordered a freebie of Nicorette gum to try. If this is successful I could eliminate $23/wk ($1183/yr) of unnecessary expense. I am crossing my fingers and toes.
2] Identify where you’re nickel and diming yourself.
I think I have a good idea of where I am nickel and diming myself (see above), but it is something to definitely keep tabs on. One thing I have changed prior to this blog is taking my lunch (including snacks and enough soda for an 8 hour shift) to work. Just the soda saving alone has been enormous-- $8/day vs $1.23/day.
3] Once you realize you’ve got a “problem,” promise yourself you’re not going to make the same mistake twice.
One way I have helped myself is by not taking any more than $2 to work with me. then I make a "game" of it by seeing if I can go without spending it. I have done very well with this. It works the best when I pack enough in my lunch bag that I have no need to look at the vending machines.
4] Stay “real” and hold yourself accountable. Just making decisions like these are only half of the solution. Action is often meaningless if you’re not going to set out to hold yourself accountable in the end.
As the saying goes "actions speak louder than words." Something I need to keep in mind.
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